Agricultural Engineering Serves the Farmer                                                                                                                                                                              TRACTORS-MACHINERY-DRAINAGE-IRRIGATION-SOIL CONSERVATION-BUILDINGS-ELECTRICITY-CROP DRYING
Extension Leaflet 376
1955
Horizontal Pole Type Silos
by
John Foley
Department of Agricultural Engineering
THE SEARCH FOR EASIER and cheaper methods of storing silage has brought about the development of the pole type silo. This silo can be made in any desired length or width to suit the needs of any size herd. It is built above ground on any relatively level area, requires very little excavation, and no brace supports for the side walls, which allows easy access for mowing around the silo. The completed structure is a permanent type of silo and will last for many years.
Why Build a Horizontal Silo?
The question which many farm people are trying to decide today is not whether to feed silage, but what kind of a silo to build. The idea is to spend as little money as necessary to get started feeding silage, and to have the least possible spoilage. The ideal structure, of course, would be one which reduced spoilage to zero and did not cost anything. This cannot be achieved as far as present knowledge goes, therefore some sort of compromise is in order.
Since it is necessary to build some type of structure to cut down spoilage, and the idea is to keep the cost fairly low, let us try to fit a horizontal silo into this picture. There are several types of these silos which might be used (in fact the only horizontal silo which doesn't fit in all cases is the earthen trench). These silos can be above or below the ground level and may be constructed of creosoted lumber or concrete.
The horizontal silo, if properly used, cuts down the spoilage which would be encountered in an open stack, and though not as efficient as the upright silo, holds roughly twice the amount of silage per dollar invested as the upright silo might. It is fairly easy to fill and has possibilities for self feeding.
Therefore, the horizontal silo seems to be a good choice for our compromise in feeding silage.
In this publication the pole type horizontal silo will be presented as a means for getting into silage feeding with a practical, low cost, permanent structure.
Where Should We Build the Silo?
Some types of horizontal silos or trench silos require a bank or hillside before construction can begin. This is fine if there happens to be this kind of terrain where the silo should be located. Too many times the silo is located in some distant hillside and is very unhandy to use. In some cases this factor alone has led to the abandonment of the silo.
Figure 1. With proper handling in filling, pole type silos can produce excellent livestock feed on any farm. They can be built on level ground near the feed lot and offer easy access to cattle for self feeding.